The BEST Craft Project Ideas You Will See All Day!

You may not know where to look for craft ideas that you haven’t tried before or worry about investing in supplies for something you have never tried. Maybe you are feeling bored and want to get some crafty inspiration or just want a quick and easy craft project to help you relax…This list is for you!

Iv’e grouped some of my favorite crafts of all time by age and interest and help explain why you might want to try one over another. I’ve also included LOTS of resources and links to go and get started with a new-to-you craft right now! Are you ready? Let’s find your favorite new hobby! 🙂 Check out 16 of my favorite all-time craft projects for adults, toddlers, tweens, and teens!

KNIT AND CROCHET CRAFT PROJECTS

Knitting is such a relaxing craft, and the brain benefits have been compared with those of meditation. (Cool, right?) You can knit something just for yourself. Like the coziest-ever pair of socks! Or spend your time knitting things for others in need.

1. Baby Items: Or do something good for you AND for someone in need by knitting newborn hats to donate to babies in your local hospital’s NICU and maternity ward. They always need donations like this — every baby gets a hat! And if a friend is having a baby, you can knit or crochet an heirloom baby sweater or cute crochet hat just for pictures.

Craft Project To Try:

This is one of my absolute favorite crochet baby photo props – especially if a new baby will be arriving just before the Christmas holidays.

2. Crochet Doilies: You could make a hundred of these, and still find a use for them. Make several to use as your own coasters to protect tables from drink rings. Make extras to tie up in a pretty package to give as a heartwarming housewarming gift.

Craft Project To Try:

Here is a simple pattern to crochet a doily. It uses very basic crochet principles and requires that you know how to crochet a magic loop, increases, double crochet, and the shell stitch. I make these when I need a portable craft project to chill out my busy mind.

Here is a basic free doily pattern** – enjoy!

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-Crochet Doily Pattern-

Yarn: simply soft worsted weight yarn in a soft pinkHook: H/8 – 5mm1. Make a magic loop and make 6 double crochet stitches into it. Slip stitch to finish the row. Chain 2. (I used the back loops only for the following stitches.)

2. Do 2 more rows of double crochet. Increase by making 2 stitches into each back loop.

3. Do a shell stitch around the edge and weave in ends. That’s it!

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**Don’t know how to knit or crochet? I was in the same boat for a long time. I played around trying to learn on YouTube for years but ended up frustrated and put it off. I finally learned myself this past Summer by taking these two FABULOUS courses on Craftsy.

(note: Those links are both referral links which help support this site when you purchase the classes – Thank you!) Honestly, learning how to knit and crochet have been some of the most rewarding things I’ve learned as an adult! So if you can’t quite get the hang of it and really want to learn, there is no better resource — just buy the course you need instead of fiddling with random videos. I finally forked over the cash when Craftsy had a sale and was SO glad I did. For me it made all the difference.

ILLUSTRATING AND DRAWING ACTIVITIES

When someone asks me about what easy crafts they try when they have nothing to do, illustration and drawing are some of the first I suggest. Why? Because the tools are cheap and there is no limit to what you can make, other than your own imagination. There are also lots of great tutorials and classes from art teachers around the world available online. I even popped in to a live figure drawing art class on Periscope the other day – so amazing!

3. Draw people and characters:I think humans naturally find drawing figures and faces infinitely interesting. We love to people watch and all pay attention to different things. This means no two artists will draw a person in the same way, and there is no wrong way to do it, but there are some art principles of drawing that will help you translate what your eye sees to paper. Here are some tips: First study proportion, perspective, and basic human anatomy if you would like to get better at drawing people. It really helps! Then keep an art pad with you and draw whenever you have a free moment. Here is a video that has some great beginner drawing tips.

4. Calligraphy and lettering

Calligraphy and lettering with ink and chalk are having a major comeback lately. People pay hundreds of dollars to have a professional calligrapher address wedding invitations…learn how and you can do it yourself! There are TONS of resources and videos to show you how to learn these beautiful and practical art forms. Molly Jacques teaches how she does calligraphy – and she has worked for some pretty fancy schmancy clients! Check it out https://www.skillshare.com/profile/Molly-Jacques/4141629

5. Art journaling:Just Doodle! This can be a very cool way to start art journaling – just draw what you see! Your coffee cup, that little pair of favorite scissors on your desk, an image that describes how you are feeling….try to tell a story with your doodles.

Craft Project To Try:

Draw 3 objects in front of you right now.

6. Zentangle is wonderful because it is meant to be simple. portable, and a mental break for your brain. Part meditation, part craft, the whole idea is to create squiggle shapes in a 4in. x 4in. square, then separate those shapes. Next you draw repeating patterns in those divided sections. Or just start with a pattern and fill the whole square. The original Zentangle philosophy suggested using black ink markers like my favorite super-black Pigma Micron Markers shown here, but many artists and crafters have taken the art of Zentangle to new levels by adding color, shading to make it look 3D, applying to surfaces, and even turning them into coloring pages for other people to color in and enjoy.

Craft Project To Try:

Practice some of these simple Zentangle patterns

7. Mandalasare beautiful. They are intended to help you focus and draw your eye in during meditation and are often elaborately colored and decorated to keep your attention. You can make them in many ways, and there are certain symbols that can have certain special meanings. Like Zentangle, they often use repeating patterns, only in a mandala, you create them evenly-spaced, and around a circle. Search for drawings of mandalas so you get a feel for what they look like, then try this mandala template to make your own. Just print the template, and put under a piece of tracing paper so you don’t have the guidelines in your finished mandala.

DIY HOME ACCESSORIES

8. Make Your Own Pillows– Even if you don’t sew, you can easily embellish an inexpensive pillow or pillow cover to make it trendy and fun (or just change your decor for the season.) Decorating your own pillows is easy – use stamps, stencils and fabric paint, or use your Silhouette or Cricut machines to cut a shape out of iron-on vinyl! I love this pillow project from Craftaholics Anonymous. http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/diy-deer-pillow

9. Create Inspiring Wall Art

Using vinyl or paint, put your favorite quote on a painted board. You can find pre-painted, word-art ready boards with wall hardware already installed at just about any craft store.

10. Wreath Making and DIY Flower Arranging

If you want to do something fun to decorate for the holidays, making your own wreaths is really fun. And with all the wreath making supplies available now, it has never been easier! There are SO many good ideas for making wreaths that use a simple base and a bunch of something you can easily find – ribbon, mesh, even candy. You can whip a simple one up in thirty minutes.

Have you made word art you love? Scan it in to your computer, adjust the color as needed in photoshop, and print on archival quality paper. Package in an acetate sleeve and cardboard back to protect the print, and you are ready to ship them to customers! For fine art, you may want to use a professional giclee printer, but you can also charge more for these prints.

Hair bows never go out of style and are essential for certain sports like Competition Dance and Cheer. They are also loved by parents of newborn girls when attached to a super soft, stretchy headband. There is always a market for custom hair bows in boutiques and online, and don’t worry – even if you can easily find them put your spin on them and you will get the right customers flocking to you!

Mom’s of little girls LOVE tutus for babies, toddlers, and young girls…even if they don’t dance! A handmade DIY tutu is a fashion accessory used for fun and play. Make them very short for everyday wear for babies, or longer for princess play for elementary school aged kids.

There is tons of jewelry on the market, but it doesn’t matter. People LOVE and BUY jewelry! From simple-to-make pendants to intricate beaded creations, you can definitely sell the beaded jewelry you make!